2-3 wheelers to be exempted from NH toll

In a major relief to the commuters, Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat on Tuesday said two and three wheelers will be exempted from paying the toll once national highway is expanded in the state.

"National highway authority of India (NHAI) officials have said two and three-wheelers would be exempted from paying the tax on national highway after its expansion,” Kamat told reporters.

Talking to reporters after chairing House committee meeting on the issue, Kamat said that exemption will be a great relief for the people who were worried that they will have to pay extra to travel after national highway is expanded.

He said the House Committee has also recommended that light motor vehicles registered in Goa should be spared from paying the toll.

NHAI’s project in Goa has hit a controversy with several organisations demanding realignment of the road. The activists also fear that once project is in place, the road users will have to shell out extra from their pocket to pay.

Kamat had initially said that they will ask NHAI to fix toll booths in the radius of 40 kms as against the usual norm of having them after every 20 kms.

The chief minister on Tuesday said that the issue of fixing the booths at every 40 kms does not arise as people will now not be burdened with the toll.

Anti-National highway expansion activists, in past, had accused Kamat of playing fraud on the Goans. They had said that the land was being illogically acquired by the government for the project.

National highway diversion action committee (NHDAC) had even held street protests and public rallies demanding scrapping of the current alignment.

We seem to forget that everything in this world has a cost and someone will have to pay for it. We want development, improvement, better schools, wider roads, so on and so forth but we don't want to pay for it. Nothing comes out of thin air my friends. We cannot go on taking without giving. The math does not add up that way.

On another issue, have we ever stoppd to consider where are these corrupt politcians coming from? They are not from Mars, my friends, they are one of us and reflect our value system. Most of us will become just like them if we are elected and have power. Time has come for us to look into the mirror and question whther we are doing our duties to our country, our fellow men and to our communities. We all criticize the government for the garbage problem but we throw our junk from the balcony. I see it in my neighborhood everyday. Time has come for us to ask ourselves whether we reasonably honest, and do not take advantage of the system in our small way everyday.

We need to correct ourselves before we ask others to correct themselves. Charity begins at home

Priyo Goswami
, Chicalim, Vasco | 31 st January 2011 16:39 IST

1. Build both side parellel service road to the Main Road.

2. Collect Toll only for the Main Road. Pass the Profit for ever to the Land Looser.

3. Public have tendency to oppose for the sake of publicity.

Mudenoor
, Margao | 06 th January 2011 08:47 IST

Who says it is a major relief to the commuter. The commuter has to decide on that. The two and three wheelers will be on their way out in a few years. Mumbai is on the way of phasing out auto-rickshaws for their own reasons. We do not need dole-outs to criss-cross on our roads within Goa. Whether it is a Central or State list, we need not pay any toll to move within our boundaries. The Centre cannot browbeat us on this issue and we have to firmly put our foot down, and not be misguided. Who says no to highways, we need them but to our own benefits and not as a price. Should not the Centre be responsible to the States instead of manipulating and offering hand-outs. Are we children to a step-mother? Please do not bully us, since for every other move we make we rush to the Centre to seek their blessings. Why?

Ludovico
, Old-Goa | 16 th December 2010 09:58 IST

All vehicles registered in Goa should be exempted from paying any toll as there is no justification for the same!

Already the common man is burdened with so many taxes on almost every commodity and more than 100% tax on petrol! Any further taxing the common man is not justified!